Solvang – California’s Danish Town | Weekend Itinerary

Day 1: The Journey

2:00pm: Leave LA before the Friday afternoon traffic mess starts!

During this trip, we started with a quick Friday afternoon jaunt up the 101 highway from downtown LA to Solvang, a cute Danish-themed village located slightly to the northeast of Santa Barbara, in the thick of the SoCal wine country! As we got closer to Solvang, we decided to catch a sunset at Hendry's Beach near Santa Barbara.

The Hadsten is perfectly located near the beginning of the Mission Drive strip, in the Danish Town of Solvang, making for an ideal walkable location into the village. The rooms and the breakfast are relatively standard. The property does include amenities such as a hot tub and indoor pool. Since most properties were sold out during the Valentine's Weekend we visited, we were lucky enough to get a room at a property with this location. Costs vary but can be upwards of $100+ a night.

About a 7-minute drive from the Hadsten House Inn is Albertson's Grocery Store. As our first vineyard, Demetria, allows guests to bring in their own picnics, we stopped at the grocery and grabbed an assortment of cheeses, meats, deli goods, fruits, and crackers!

The views from this Vineyard are SO worthwhile. The staff is friendly and provides a real Californian country sense of hospitality. Make sure to grab a reservation beforehand, as especially during the weekends, the place gets packed with couples and families alike!

Bridlewood was another gorgeous, if to say a bit more upscale, winery. The main house has a sumptuous Spanish colonial hacienda feel, and the welcome lobby boasts beautiful tile and a pleasant fireplace next to which you can enjoy your tastings. In the vast backyard is a members-only recreation area that, while barred from our entry, made for breathtaking outdoor hill views while we sipped the in-house syrah. A visit on a sunny day will make for great photos of the aloe-laden landscapes and spacious adjoining countryside.

Although the wineries all close at 5pm, that doesn't mean the party needs to stop! Head over to the Landsby hotel right next to the Hadsten House in central Solvang for some happy hour cocktails. We found it loaded with energy, and enjoyed conversing with the bartenders while they laced up some fantastic cocktails. They mean business here!

Hang tight for a bomb dinner in the room right next to the bar. The fresh catch fish of the day (this time, salmon), the dimmer lighting, and the comfy couch-like benches on the rim of the dining area were all a hit.

Day 3: Exploring Solvang

If there's one thing you can't miss out on your trip to Solvang, it's Horseback riding at Vino Vaqueros. For $115 pp, you get a 90-minute ride through the stunning property. You'll start alongside the vineyards and move on up to pass the cattle, and then to the hilltop to view the jaw-dropping Santa Ynez Valley. A visit on a blue-sky day will truly make you feel fortunate. For $10 more, you can add on a wine tasting to the experience.

Even in this quaint Danish town, you can find a Vietnamese restaurant with excellent pho! And after spending a pretty penny over the weekend, a nice warm bowl of the rice noodles for $11 will do the job!

Across the street from Pho 805, you'll find Solvang Flavors, a gelato and chocolates shop--perfect for that sweet kick after a savory Vietnamese lunch. Plus, are you really on vacation if you don't get some form of ice cream!?

For $5, you will be entertained by these bizarrely intriguing large birds gawking around looking for us humans to feed them snacks (for $1 more you can feed the Ostriches). Watching these Ostrich go buck after the snacks is super entertaining and completely worth the laughs at the end of your visit!